The game of squash thrives when there is growth at the local and regional levels. Squash Ontario’s Community Awards program was created by the Board of Directors to recognize the contributions made by volunteers, corporations, officials, coaches and players at all levels of the game.
Please join us in celebrating and thanking the following recipients of 2024-2025 Outstanding Achievement Award:
Marcus Lee
As the head coach of the junior squash program at Richmond Hill Squash Club, I am deeply honored to nominate Marcus Lee for the Squash Ontario Outstanding Achievement Award 2024. At just 17 years old, Marcus has shown extraordinary growth, resilience, and dedication in his squash journey over the past six years, emerging as a true inspiration to all who know him.
As someone diagnosed with autism, Marcus began his squash journey in 2018 as a complete beginner. At the time, he struggled with basic skills, such as hitting the ball, and was hesitant to engage with kids his age. The highly social environment of squash presented additional challenges for him. Despite these initial hurdles, Marcus’s determination, passion for the sport, and the unwavering support of his parents and the Richmond Hill Squash Club community propelled him forward. Fast forward six years, and Marcus’s transformation is nothing short of remarkable.
This year, Marcus achieved incredible milestones in his squash career. He was crowned the Men’s C Champion at both the 2024 Heidelberg Materials Ontario Championships and the Doug Allen Memorial Squash Tournament. He also earned second place in our club championship Men’s C division. Marcus’s squash rating has risen impressively from 4.17 in December 2023 to 4.77 in November 2024, reflecting his relentless dedication and hard work.
Though Marcus did not participate extensively in junior tournaments earlier in his journey, he has recently embraced competitive squash, overcoming challenges such as managing pressure, handling spectators, and adapting to tournament dynamics. In 2023, he competed in the Canadian Junior Open, entering the event with personal growth goals. Not only did he meet these goals, but he exceeded the expectations of his parents, myself, and the entire Richmond Hill Squash Club community. His growth as both a squash player and an individual has been extraordinary.
Beyond his personal achievements, Marcus has become a cornerstone of our squash community. Earlier this year, he expressed interest in helping with the junior program. Trying it out a few times transformed his perspective, igniting a newfound confidence and passion for mentoring others. Marcus now regularly volunteers to assist me in coaching junior players and participates in club activities, such as round robins and drills with our TnD ladies' team. He also helps run tournaments, demonstrating leadership, teamwork, and an inspiring sense of responsibility.
Marcus’s ambitions extend beyond the squash court. He plans to enroll in the Fitness and Health Promotion program at Centennial College after graduating high school. Although the college has squash courts but no varsity team, Marcus aims to establish one, showcasing his vision and commitment to growing the sport he loves.
Nominated by Reinaldo Rivas
Maria Toorpakai
Maria has been competing and coaching squash for over 20 years and in the past few years has increased her level of coaching certification and is now coaching some of the Ontario athletes at various competitions. She is a huge part of our Granite Club success as well mentoring our juniors to become better players and better people. With Maria's background and experience she really is one of a kind. Maria is a kind and compassionate person and a top coach with great results. Maria is still competing in some of the singles and doubles events too. I feel she is most deserving of this award.
Nominated by Jim Paton
Mary Kelly
Mary Kelly has been a very active member of the Toronto Cricket Club squash section for over fifty years. Mary is currently 77 years of age and has decided to end her playing career. Beside her playing career, Mary has worked tirelessly to organize particularly the women of her club and country. She has been the chairwomen of numerous national championships particularly the doubles. Her efforts over the years has brought in particular many young women into our wonderful game. My particular background in my early years was as a squash and tennis professional within the confines of the Toronto squash community. An interesting point I would like to mention if that Mary and her great friend Mary Sutton also contributed a national championship ladies doubles trophy entitled "The Bloody Mary's". Whenever Mary was asked to contribute anything to assist she was there to work hard and to contribute. People like her are the kind of individuals truly needed to keep our great game flourishing.
-Nominated by John Barr
Bryan Chin
1/4 Bryan Chin is the head pro at both Squashabout at Dunfield Goodlife and the Donalda Club. His contribution to the squash community in Toronto is exceptional. He has built one of the most welcoming and accessible squash environments in the city, making the sport approachable for players of all levels—especially those outside of private club systems. At Squashabout, Bryan runs leagues, clinics, lessons, and annual tournaments with tireless dedication. He also manages League TO, coordinating interclub squash across the city. New players are offered complimentary assessments to determine their level and are personally guided toward the right programming—an initiative that breaks down barriers to entry and encourages growth in the sport. Bryan also goes out of his way to help new players integrate into the community by connecting them with existing members of similar skill levels. By actively arranging matches and encouraging participation, he makes it easy for newcomers to break the ice and feel at home at the club. Beyond his work ethic, what sets Bryan apart is his character. He brings energy, kindness, and a genuine passion for squash to everything he does. His positive attitude and approachability help create a strong sense of community that’s felt throughout the club. Bryan’s influence has fostered a space where players not only develop their skills, but also form meaningful connections. His impact extends far beyond the walls of the club, and his reputation is consistently praised by players and pros across the GTA. Bryan Chin has helped build something special at Squashabout, and the Toronto squash scene is stronger because of him. He is more than deserving of recognition for his outstanding contribution to the sport.
-Nominated by Max Kittel
2/4 Bryan is not only the squash pro at Goodlife Dunfield, he is the beating heart of the a squash community that he created and nurtured. He carefully curate’s matchups in every event: leagues, club tournaments, clinics, even sometimes introducing people who would be good to play to each other. So many women and men, of all levels of play, along with so many assistant squash pros, and lots of junior programming are now part of this large community attached to Goodlife Dunfield as a direct result of Bryan's efforts. From my personal experience, his support for women playing squash has nurtured so many women into T&D leagues as well as the local tournaments! I cannot overstate how much this community, which Bryan rebuilt from scratch after the pandemic, has contributed to my own wellbeing. To give one statistic, last year we only had one woman from our club sign up for the Women's Master's Team Tournament. This year, we have 10 women participating, and I'm hoping for the next season, so many of these women will go on to participate in local tournaments and events, and invite more from our community to join.
-Nominated by Hania El Ayoubi
3/4 Bryan Chin is the head pro at both Squashabout at Dunfield Goodlife and Donalda Club. He has fostered the most welcoming and positive environment that has actually influenced our decision to buy a house close to the club so we do not need to leave the area...I am not joking. Bryan’s dedication to squash is remarkable. He’s always at Squashabout or Donalda: teaching lessons, running house leagues multiple times a week, and organizing several annual club tournaments. In addition, Bryan runs League TO, an interclub league in Toronto. Through Squashabout, Bryan has helped offer accessible squash for those not part of a private club. This has given people like me, who just saw the courts at the gym an opportunity to give this sport a try. He offers an assessment for all new players to gauge their skill level and provide recommendations on leagues, clinics, or lesson, not to mention this assessment is at no cost to the player. Beyond being an incredible coach and organizer, Bryan is simply a wonderful person. He’s always in a great mood, with a smile on his face, and is happy to chat about squash or honestly anything, any time of day. His warm demeanor is inviting and makes everyone feel welcome and respected. I love picking his brain about squash or just talking in general, he’s always generous with his time and knowledge.
Bryan’s family is also an active part of the Squashabout community, his wife and daughters play and often join events. As a bonus, his wife makes the most delicious chocolate chip cookies, which she almost always brings for tournaments or league finals nights! Bryan's dedication to the players goes beyond what is within the club. Several players often play tournaments, when he has time and if the club is in close proximity, Bryan makes time to come support players. Earlier this year I had played at my first national's at the Cricket Club along with about 5 other players from Squashabout. Bryan came out to watch a few of my matches and that small act meant the world to me given how nervous I was for this tournament. To conclude, Bryan Chin is an exceptional coach, leader, and person. When I attend other tournaments, club pros from Richmond Hill to TAC always have kind words and compliments about Bryan at the mere mention of Squashabout. His positive influence has built a fantastic community at Dunfield Goodlife, where players can learn, develop, and make new friends. I’m so deeply grateful to have discovered this sport I now love and it wouldn’t have happened without Bryan’s passion and commitment. Without a doubt, he is so deserving of this award.
-Nominated by Megan Tran
4/4 Bryan Chin is paramount to Squash in Ontario and the communities he is involved with. From what I know, he sits on the steering committee for TND, actively invests in the kids and adults at Dunfield relentlessly and does it with such humility and grace. He is always working to keep everyone playing and he is a fantastic ambassador for the sport.
-Nominated by Justin Oliver
Spencer Robitaille
Spencer has been a major part of the Toronto squash community for many years as a coach, player and volunteer, but in the last two years, he has played a pivotal leadership role in forming and running LeagueTO. LeagueTO has quickly become the go-to coed squash league in Toronto, with nearly 15 clubs participating at very low cost.
Spencer, with Bryan Chin, co-runs LeagueTO and has volunteered countless hours to creating schedules, inviting teams and clubs, planning final tournaments, resolving player conflicts and promoting the rules of fair squash. He has grown the league by adding 2 new divisions this past season, and hundreds of players (50 - 100 in most divisions, across 6 divisions). A key differentiator of LeagueTO, which reflects Spencer's drive to improve the accessibility of squash in Toronto, is that the clubs involved focus on the downtown core of Toronto. For many players, this makes it possible to play after work without travelling too far (eg. to Markham or Richmond Hill, as with other leagues). Without LeagueTO, it would be much more difficult to play in an organized league, and I have spoken to many players who are personally very thankful for LeagueTO. Prior to LeagueTO, Spencer spent years coaching, with a focus on female athletes. My sister met Spencer around 10 years ago when he ran a teenage female coaching clinic at Mayfair Lakeshore, and I met Spencer in 2024 when he became my coach at Dunfield. Prior, he was the Captain of McMaster's Varsity Squash team, where he played from 2011 - 2015.
Spencer is always happy to help out Squash Ontario, most recently, by researching a map and locations of squash courts and clubs across the province, to facilitate outreach and engagement activities. He has also volunteered with the Toronto and District Women’s Squash Association as their Communications Officer from 2016 - 2017. I hope you will consider Spencer for this award, he deserves it!
-Nominated by Sally Hough
Kelly Rahiri, Gary Bonczak and Colin Mackenzie
When the Peterborough YMCA made the difficult decision to repurpose its squash courts to support new childcare services, it marked the end of an era for local squash players. But thanks to the incredible dedication of Kelly, Gary, and Colin, the game of squash remained alive and vibrant in the community for as long as possible.
Understanding the changing priorities of the YMCA, these three passionate volunteers worked tirelessly to keep squash thriving right to the very end — organizing weekly drop-ins, coordinating friendly matches, and maintaining a sense of community among players. They became the heartbeat of the sport at the facility, advocating for its physical, social, and mental health benefits and reminding everyone of the friendships and wellness that squash brings.
Even as the courts were gradually converted for new purposes, Kelly, Gary, and Collin continued to welcome players, share knowledge, and promote the sport they love. Their efforts ensured that the Peterborough squash community stayed connected and inspired, with many members transitioning to other local clubs and continuing to play because of their encouragement.
For their unwavering commitment, advocacy, and leadership — and for embodying the true spirit of squash — Kelly, Gary, and Colin are recognized with Squash Ontario’s Outstanding Achievement Award. Their story is a reminder that the game extends far beyond the walls of any court — it lives in the passion of those who refuse to let it fade.
We’d also like to recognize 2 more awards that were presented at the Women’s Masters Team Tournament on September 19-21.
Barb Cooper Award – Presented to Shannon Gemmell
The Barb Cooper Award is presented annually to an individual in Ontario who has built, promoted, and enhanced the women’s game, while demonstrating leadership, achievement, and fair play. Recipients are recognized as role models who inspire others both on and off the court.
This year’s recipient is Shannon Gemmell, whose leadership and vision have been instrumental in the creation of the Western Ontario Women’s (WOW) League. Shannon devoted countless hours to organizing the league, motivated solely by her passion for bringing women together to play and enjoy squash. Her work has extended opportunities for women outside Toronto, providing a welcoming space for players of all levels to connect and compete.
As noted in her nominations, Shannon has also been a consistent presence at her club’s Women’s Wednesday programming, encouraging participation and fostering an inclusive, supportive environment. Her dedication to building community and growing the women’s game makes her a highly deserving recipient of the Barb Cooper Award.
Nominated by Laura Savage & Nicole Garon
Certificate of Achievement – Presented to Alison Le Ber
The Certificate of Achievement is awarded annually by Squash Canada to recognize individuals or companies whose significant and ongoing contributions at the provincial or territorial level have had a lasting impact on the sport. This award highlights the sustained efforts of those who, having already received top recognition, continue to dedicate themselves to supporting squash in their communities.
This year, Ontario is proud to recognize Alison Le Ber with the Certificate of Achievement. Alison has been a tireless volunteer and ambassador for squash across multiple levels, most notably through her longstanding commitment to the Toronto & District Women’s Squash Association (TDWSA), where she has held numerous roles including Chair. Her leadership and enthusiasm have helped grow women’s squash, organize successful programming, and foster a strong sense of community within the league.
Beyond the TDWSA, Alison’s contributions extend across the province. She has supported high school squash, wheelchair squash, female squash initiatives, and taken on key volunteer leadership positions at major events such as the Canadian Women’s Open and the PSA Tour Finals. Her peers describe her as a dedicated, passionate, and welcoming presence who has been central to the growth and vitality of squash in Ontario.
Alison’s decades of service, leadership, and volunteerism make her an exceptional recipient of the Certificate of Achievement.
Nominated by Lynsey Yates
